THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 15, 1994 TAG: 9409150629
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
For the second time in three years, a Virginia Union head coach has failed to last the month of September.
Hank Lattimore, hired a year ago to turn around the Panthers program, resigned Monday, just two games into the season.
``He stepped down for personal reasons,'' sports information director Paul Williams said.
Lattimore could not be reached for comment.
The Panthers are 0-2 and were beaten, 31-0, by Livingstone on Saturday. Union was 2-8-1 under Lattimore last year.
Two years ago, Union fired coach Mel Rose after just three games. He was replaced by co-head coaches Richard Macon and Willie Spence.
A replacement for Lattimore has not been named, Williams said. Assistant coach Harold Jackson has been running practice. Jackson, 48, played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection.
Long one of the CIAA's top programs, Union had its first losing season in 21 years in 1992.
SURPRISING LIVINGSTONE: If you had polled the CIAA's football coaches and asked them which team was most likely to be unbeaten and unscored upon two weeks into the season, it's a safe bet no one would have picked Livingstone.
And that includes Livingstone coach Rudy Abrams.
``We never expected it,'' Abrams said. ``It's been a pleasant surprise.''
Picked last in the conference, Livingstone is at least temporarily atop the CIAA standings. In two games the Fighting Bears have outscored foes, 49-0.
``We're happy about it, but realistically there's no way we can go unscored upon,'' Abrams said.
Certainly not. But Abrams, who was coaching at a Charlotte high school last season, has already doubled last year's win total. And he has done it without cleaning house.
``We've got maybe a 50-50 mixture of old players and new players,'' Abrams said.
Livingstone has been winning with a ball-control offense and an airtight 4-3 defense. Tailback Kevin Paul is second in the league in rushing, while fullback Sheldon Davis is fifth.
VIRGINIA STATE'S BIG LOSS: Anyone who saw Virginia State beat Norfolk State, 54-6, in its season opener, had to wonder what happened last Saturday, when the Trojans fell to Central State of Ohio, 42-0.
``They (Central State) had much more talent,'' Virginia State coach Lou Anderson said. ``They were real big on both sides of the ball.
``When a team beats you with talent, there's not much you can do.''
Ditto for when a team doesn't let you have the ball. Central State, an NAIA school, had the football for an amazing 49 minutes, 19 seconds.
The Marauders also picked off six Virginia State passes.
Virginia State, which was ranked 13th in Division II, fell out of the poll this week. Central State remained second in the NAIA poll.
``I believe it,'' Anderson said.
The CIAA is 2-8 so far outside the conference. Hampton, with wins over Morehouse and Howard, is the only team to win a non-conference game, and the Pirates are leaving next season to move into Divison I-AA.
TV FOUL-UP: Saturday's Hampton-Howard game was supposed to be shown via tape delay on Home Team Sports. But an outside production company that was supposed to provide the game bailed out at the last minute, HTS spokesman Scott Broyles said.
``The producer, if you will, failed to deliver,'' Broyles said. ``Somewhere along the line there was a breakdown. As of Friday, we thought we still had the game.
``We were disappointed, to say the least.''
Broyles said the gaffe won't affect the network's plans to air future CIAA games. The Hampton-Norfolk State game on Oct. 15 and the Virginia Union-Virginia State contest on Oct. 29 will be shown on tape delay.
``Those games are being done through the CIAA, so we should be OK,'' Broyles said. by CNB